Measuring device



- ZI r y 1, 1966 s. ERHARDT 3,253,752

MEASURING DEVICE Filed March 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 6112. cum firhowdfi 60%, W,

cj h'ro max J May 31, 1966 S. ERHARDT MEASURING DEVICE Filed March 9 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IO 2 2g 69 66 45 71 a a 44 m I! 45 b 54 7 57 S8 28 "W. '39 I" 50 f S0 r- 3 fiufi ATTQRMEY/ United States Patent This invention relates to a measuring device in which fluent material is discharged through a spout into the upper end of a measuring receptacle supported on a carrier member for movement transversely of the spout into member 28 which engages the lower ends of the recepand out of alinement with the spout, the lower end of the receptacle being closed in the filling position of the receptacle by a stationary member formed with a discharge opening spaced laterally from the filling position to empty each measured charge from the receptacle after the latter has been moved out of the filling position.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device of the above character in which the volume of the measuring receptacle is more easily and-rapidly adjusted to vary the amount of material in each charge.

Another object is to adjust the volume of the receptacle without removing the latter from the carrier.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a device embodying the novel features of the present invention, parts being broken away and shown in cross-section for clarity of illustration.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of FIG. 2.

As shown in the drawings for purposes of illustration, the invention is embodied in a device 10 for measuring fluent material from a downwardly opening spout 11 on a hopper 12 into charges 13 (FIG. 1) of preselected volume preparatory to packaging of the charges. For example, successive measured charges may be deposited in a clamshell filler 14 which is mounted on the machine to be lowered into successive bags 15 spaced along an intermittent motion carrier (not shown) and then opened to release each charge into a bag. Preferably, two such fillers are spaced along the path of the bags and on opposite sides of the measuring device to receive identical charges from two identical spouts 11 on the hopper.

As shown in FIG. 1, the hopper 12 is a suspended from the free end portion of a horizontal arm 17 projecting outwardly from and slidably guided on a post 18 upstanding from a support 19 (FIG. 1) constituting part of the machine frame. The arm is adjustably positioned on the post by means of a vertical screw 20 threaded through the arm and rotatably supported adjacent its ends on two lugs 21 and 22 above and below the arm. When the screw is turned, the arm and the hopper are raised or lowered relative to the measuring device. The hopper is formed by a cylindrical sidewall 23 and a bottom wall 24 of inverted V-shaped cross-section which guides material in the hopper toward the two spouts 11.

Measurement of the product into charges 13 of the desired volume is accomplished by positioning one or more volumetric measuring receptacles 25 beneath the spouts 11 to be filled with the product while the lower ends of the receptacles are closed, leveling the product at the open upper ends of the receptacles so that each contains the same amount of material, and moving the receptacles away from the filling positions into discharge positions where the lower ends are opened to empty the receptacles. For this purpose, the receptacles are mounted on a carrier 27 for tacles and closes the latter except in the discharge position of the receptacles, the closure member being formed with discharge openings 29 alined with the receptacles in the discharge positions.

Herein, the carrier 27 is a circular plate supported in a horizontal plane on the upper end of a shaft 30 journaled on the machine for rotation about a vertical axis 31 in vertically spaced bearings supported on a box-like housing 32 projecting laterally from the support 19 beneath the arm 17.- One bearing is enclosed in a case 33 bolted to the underside of the top wall 34 of the housing and another bearing 35 is mounted on top of the wall. On the lower end of the shaft is a sprocket wheel 37 adapted to be driven by a suitable actuator (not shown), such as the cycle shaft of the machine, through an endless chain 38 extending horizontally through the housing and trained around the sprocket wheel. The carrier plate is formed with a center hole 39 through which the shaft projects into a cup-shaped hub 40 fastened as by screws 41 to the top of the disk and keyed at 42 to the shaft.

Two hollow measuring receptacles 25 are equally spaced from the shaft axis 31 so as to follow the same circular path as they revolve about the axis, and are spaced 180 degrees apart along the path to lie in opposite sides of the shaft 30. Each receptacle is secured to the underside of the carrier plate 27 in alinement with a measuring opening 43 therein, and extends downwardly into bearing engagement with the top surface 44 of the closure member 28 which herein is a second circular plate non-rotatably mounted on the housing 32 in a horizontal plane below the plane of the carrier plate. The closure plate has a center hole 45 through which the shaft passes, and two discharge openings 29 spaced 180 degrees apart along the path of the receptacles. As will be seen from a comparison of FIGS. 1 and 3, the discharge openings are spaced degrees from the spouts 11 which are spaced degrees apart along and overlie the path of the receptacles.

With this arrangement, each receptacle 25 passes alternately under a spout 11 and then over a discharge opening 29, being filled'with the product material while heneath a spout and then discharging the product through one of the openings. The shaft 30 is rotated continuously to move the two receptacles simultaneously through the respective'filling and discharge positions. As the receptacles move out of each filling position, the top surface of the product in the receptacles is leveled in a well known manner by annular brushes 47 which encircle the. lower ends of the spouts and extend downwardly into sweeping engagement with the top surface of the carrier disk. These brushes are mounted on rings 48 telescoped over and fastened to the lower end portions of the spouts. Two guide tubes 49 are fastened by screws 50 to the, underside of the closure plate around the discharge openings to guide the product into the fillers 14.

In accordance with the present invention, the measuring plates 27 and 28 are supported for selective adjustment toward and away from each other, and the receptacles 25' are constructed and mounted to expand and contract automatically with changes in the spacing of the plates thereby to vary to volume of the receptacles in accordance with changes in the spacing. Accordingly, the quantity of material measured and dispensed in each charge 13 is precisely adjustable in a relatively rapid and simple manner.

As shown in FIG. 2, the closure plate 28 is telescoped over the shaft 30 and supported between the ends of the latter by an adjusting device including a sleeve 51 telescoped loosely over the shaft and fastened at its upper end to the underside of the closure plate by means of screws 52 extending downwardly through alined holes in a ring 53 and in the plate and threaded into an annular flange 54 on the upper end of the sleeve. A bearing 55 is fitted between the ring and the shaft. Below the closure plate, the external surface of the sleeve is helically threaded at 57 and a nut 58 is'threaded onto the sleeve.

This nut is mounted on the housing 32 for rotation in an axially fixed position by means of a flange sleeve 59 having an inside diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the shaft, the sleeve being telescoped over the cylindrical lower end portion of the threaded sleeve 51 and bolted at 60 to the top wall 34 of the housing. The upper end portion of this stationary sleeve is disposed within a counterbore 61 in the underside of the nut'SS, and a thrust washer 62 encircling the threaded sleeve 51 is disposed between the inner end of the counterbore and the upper end of the stationary sleeve. Thus, the stationary sleeve and the thrust washer support the closure plate through the nut and the threaded sleeve, and the latter constitutes a screw movable along the shaft 30 by the nut.

To insure that the nut 58 will not ride up along the screw 57 as the nut is turned, one or more set screws 63 are threaded radially through the lower portion of the nut with the inner stud ends 64 on the set screws projecting into the counterbore and slidably received in an annular groove 65 of T-shaped cross-section encircling the stationary sleeve 59 adjacent its upper end. When the stud ends are disposed within the groove 65, the nut is rotatable relative to the sleeves 51 and 59 but is positively held against axial motion. The screw sleeve is keyed at 67 to the stationary sleeve for axial sliding Without rotation. Thus, rotation of the nut either raises or lowers the screw and the closure plate 28 along the shaft 30, thereby varying the spacing of the plates 27 and 28. When the stud ends 64 are tightened against the bottom of the groove 65, the nut is locked in place to hold the closure plate at a selected level.

Each receptacle 25 includes an upper tubular section 68 having an annular flange 69 seated in a recess in the underside of the carrier plate 27 adjacent the peripheral edge thereof and securely held on the plate by a retaining ring 70 fitted into the recess beneath the flange and preferably held in place by screws (not shown), the inside diameter of the retaining ring being somewhat larger than the outside diameter of the upper section so as to define a downwardly opening annular groove 71 encircling the upper section. Telescoped snugly over the lower end portion of the upper section is a lower section 72 of crosssectional shape corresponding -to the shape of the upper section and overlapping a substantial portion of the upper section. Herein, both sections are circular in cross-section.

To hold the lower section 72 against the top of the closure plate 28, regardless of the spacing of this plate below the carrier plate 27, a coiled spring 73 is disposed around the receptacle 25 with its upper end confined in the groove 71 and its lower end engaging an annular flange 74 around the lower end of the lower section, the spring being compressed between the flanges 69 and 74 to urge the latter part. Thus, the spring extends the receptacle to increase its length as the spacing of the plates 27 and 28 is increased, and yields to permit the receptacle to contract as the spacing is decreased. Accordingly, each change in the spacing of the plates correspondingly changes the volume of the receptacles.

The amount of available change is limited only by the amount of overlap of the upper and lower sections 68 and 72 and the distance the nut 58 may travel along the screw threads 57. Herein, the closure plate 28 may be adjusted upwardly from the position in FIG. 2 a distance indicated at a and downwardly a distance indicated at b.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention provides an improved measuring device wherein the volume of the measured charges is quicky and easily adjusted simply by turning'the nut 58 in the appropriate direction to raise or lower the closure plate 28 relative to the carrier plate 27. As the spacing of these plates changes, the length of the receptacles 25 also changes to adjust the volume of the receptacles as desired.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device for measuring fluent material from a downwardly opening spout, the combination of, a support, a shaft journaled on said support for rotation about a vertical axis, a carrier plate mounted on the upper end portion of said shaft for rotation therewith and having a measured opening radially spaced from said axis to receive material from the spout in one angular position of said carrier plate, a closure plate disposed beneath and parallel to said carrier plate, a measuring receptacle comprising upper and lower tubular sections telescoped together and slidable endwise relative to each other to extend and contract said receptacle, said upper section being disposed around said measuring opening and connected to said carrier .plate for movement therewith, a. spring urging said lower section away from said carrier plate and against said closure plate, said closure plate having a discharge opening therein alined with said lower section in another angular position of said carrier plate to discharge material from said receptacle, a tubular externally threaded screw telescoped over said shaft for up and down movement thereon and connected to said closure plate, and a nut threaded onto said screw and mounted on said support for selective back and forth rotation in an axially fixed position thereby to raise and lower said screw and said closure plate along said shaft and vary the volume of said receptacle.

2. In a device for measuring fluent material from a downwardly opening spout, the combination of, a support, a shaft journaled on said support for rotation about a vertical axis, a first plate mounted on the upper end portion of said shaft for rotation therewith and having a measuring opening radially spaced from said axis to receive material from the spout in one angular position of said plate, a second plate disposed beneath and parallel to said first plate, a measuring receptacle comprising upper and lower tubular sections telescoped together and slidable endwise relative to each other to extend and contract said receptacle, said upper section being disposed around said measuring opening and connected to said first plate for movement therewith, a spring urging said lower section away from said first plate and against said second plate, said second plate having a discharge opening therein alined with said lower section in another angular position of said first plate to discharge material from said receptacle, and means supporting said second plate for selective adjustment toward and away from said first plate thereby to vary the length and volume of said receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 897,420 9/1908 Small 14ll45 2,144,569 1/1939 Frazier 222302 2,424,842 7/1947 Olney l41l52 2,700,498 1/1955 Lince 222-302 X RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner,

HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR MEASURING FLUENT MATERIAL FROM A DOWNWARDLY OPENING SPOUT, THE COMBINATION OF, A SUPPORT, A SHAFT JOURNALED ON SAID SUPPORT FOR ROTATION ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, A CARRIER PLATE MOUNTED ON THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH AND HAVING A MEASURED OPENING RADIALLY SPACED FROM SAID AXIS TO RECEIVE MATERIAL FROM THE SPOUT IN ONE ANGULAR POSITION OF SAID CARRIER PLAT, A CLOSURE PLATE DISPOSED BENEATH AND PARALLEL TO SAID CARRIER PLATE, A MEASURING RECEPTACLE COMPRISING UPPER AND LOWER TUBULAR SECTIONS TELESCOPED TOGETHER AND SLIDABLE ENDWISE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER TO EXTEND AND CONTRACT SAID RECEPTCLE, SAID UPPER SECTION BEING DISPOSED AROUND SAID MEASURING OPENING AND CONNECTED TO SAID CARRIER PLATE TO MOVEMENT THEREWITH, A SPRING URGING SAID LOWER SECTION AWAY FROM SAID CARRIER PLATE AND AGAINST SAID CLOSURE PLATE, SAID CLOSURE PLATE 